Last Dance
by Currie-Sauce
Summary: Ash and Dawn are both 15 year-olds going to a High School. Pearlshipping: AshxDawn and other minor ships. Two Endings.
1. Chapter 1

**I am going to say this straight out, this story has ABSOLUTLY NOTHING to do with Pokémon other than the character names. All the main character's ages are 15 and they all go to the same high school.**

**Now, on with the story!**

* * *

It had been the same rough morning. Dawn had to get up at 7:00 to finish her homework which she didn't even start last night and by 8 o'clock, she had to get ready to go to school without even having breakfast. She was starving right now partly because she didn't have much to eat at dinner yesterday.

"_Stupid, stupid me… Why didn't I eat that second helping my mom offered me…"_ Dawn thought to herself.

"Hey Dawn."

Ash walked up beside her.

"Oh, hey Ash. How was your morning?"

"It wasn't bad, but still pretty dreadful. I mean, I bet I'm the only one in school who wakes up at 7 in the morning to finish my homework which I should've started yesterday. I didn't even have time to eat breakfast!"

Dawn was surprised by the coincidence. "Are you serious Ash? That sounded really similar to my morning."

"Really? So you didn't have breakfast either?"

"Nope… and my stomach's paying the price for it…"

Ash felt sympatric to do something. He swung his bag forward and opened it up. He took out a sandwich and ripped it into two pieces.

"Here Dawn. I was planning to eat it all by myself but I'm not that greedy."

"Ash… I shouldn't…"

"Hey, don't sweat it. I mean after all, it's the benefits of having friends." Dawn gratefully accepted the other half of the sandwich and they both ate and talked together while walking to school.

. . .

It was finally lunch time. The math class almost made Dawn puke but the science almost killed her. She was walking with Ash to the cafeteria while discussing about her morning with him.

"I think I failed the Science Test." Dawn said without a hint of shame.

"Well, I think I blew both the Science Test and the assignment. I'm glad I'm not taking Science next year. I mean, who'd in their right mind want to spend their morning with Mr. Weaver?"

They both laughed at this. Mr Weaver had to be the dullest teacher in the entire universe. He was always talking in a tried voice as if he had just woken up and would go bananas on anyone who was caught talking.

By the time they had finished their discussion, they met up with May.

"Hey May. I'm guessing your morning was fantastic judging by that look on your face."

"I know! I think I scored a 100 on my English essay because the teach looked impressed! EEHH! I can't hold in the excitement!" she then ran off towards the cafeteria with a dozen pair of eyes looking towards the direction she ran off to. After more walking and talking, they met up with Drew, the alleged coolest dude in the whole school.

"Hey Drew. How are ya' doing?" Ash asked.

"Phff, I don't have time to talk to losers like you." He then turned his head towards another direction then flicked a goodbye-wave.

"What a jerk." Dawn commented.

"Talk about bragging about being the coolest guy when he has no true friends. They'd leave him in a second if it wasn't for his dad's job at the military."

Drew had always bragged about how his dad was a high-ranking general in the army. When he bragged about it, he'd often draw a lot of attention and then he'd start off on stories, like the how his dad led a raid against an enemy stronghold and captured it victoriously. Ash couldn't believe half of the stuff Drew had told them so he did his best to avoid Drew; unless they met accidentally.

Ash and Dawn had finally reached the cafeteria and found most of their friends waiting for them. Misty was sitting in the corner; waiting for her chance to get Ash to sit next to her while most of his other friends were at the tables a few rows away from her. As an instinct, Ash and Dawn moved towards their group of friends but someone appeared in front of them…

"Ash!" Misty said in a false-surprised tone. "You're eating with me today!" she then grabbed his wrist and started to pull him away.

"Oh no you don't Misty!" Dawn then grabbed Ash's other hand and pulled him towards her. Now the two girls were in a tug-o-war situation with Ash being the rope. The war had attracted many people and now there was a crowd surrounding them.

"UGH! DAWN! MISTY! LET GO!" Ash yelled. Dawn loosened her grip as Misty tightened it and as a result, Ash fell flying side-ways and landed on top of Misty; making her blush.

"Oh, hey Ash…" she said in a somewhat seductive tone.

"Uh yeah, I'll see you later Misty." Ash then got up and brushed himself off before heading towards Dawn again.

"Wait Ash! Could you sit next to me today? We can eat lunch together and talk and –"

"Misty, if you want to talk to me that badly, why not join us at our table?"

Misty frowned at this. "I wanted some privacy between us, and them." She then pointed to the group who were now waiting for Ash and Dawn to join them.

"Um… sorry Misty. Think I'll pass."

He then slowly walked away with Dawn to the group's table. Misty never liked rejections nor did she receive much in her life. Sure she had been dating Tracey but she knew he wasn't the right person for her. After all, Tracey did admit that the only reason he had dated her was to have an excuse to spend more time with Daisy; her sister and now that they had admitted their feelings for each other, he didn't need her anymore. When she heard that, Misty felt as though she had been slapped across the face and so she slapped him before running away; swearing to never talk to him again.

Tracey and Daisy were now a couple and Misty felt somewhat, envious. She thought that maybe if she went out with Ash, Tracey would rethink what he had done… or so she thought.

. . .

*Ring*

The bell signifying the end of school had rung. The entire school roared with talking and commotion before all the noise was drowned at the exit doors. Ash had managed to stay with Dawn but told her that he would meet her outside.

"Alright, don't forget to wait for me!" Dawn yelled over the sea of voices.

"Hey! I'm not that slow!" he then gave her a wink before she went off smiling.

. . .

Ash was waiting outside the school now. He was standing right next to the exit doors of the school and was carefully examining each face that left the building. Ash was searching for Dawn but instead, he found Misty. She noticed him standing next to the doors and ran over to him.

"Hey Ash!" she said in a fake-cheery voice.

"What's up Misty?"

"Nothing much… so I was wondering if you'd like to take me out to the dance on Friday?"

"Whoa, Misty. You know I can't do that, you're in a relationship with Tracey." He then took a closer look at her expression and saw the truth. "Oh… I'm guessing your relationship didn't go too well?"

"Yeah… Tracey and I broke up, but I was wondering if you'd like to take me out to the dance."

"Sorry Misty. That's a no-can-do. I hope you understand."

Misty gave out a sigh of disappointment when Ash had rejected her invitation and with a sad face, she turned around and began to walk away.

When Misty was out of eye-sight, Dawn came out through the front doors. Ash pushed through the sea of people to meet up with her.

"What took you so long?" Ash asked.

"Traffic, it's always an issue in society these days." she replied with a sarcastic tone.

Ash chuckled before moving on. "Alright, let's go now."

. . .

The way back home was a silent one. Neither of them had spoken because both had something on their minds. Ash was wondering whether to ask Dawn to the dance or not and Dawn was wondering if Ash was going to ask her to the dance. Of course, Dawn's answer would've been a yes but Ash hadn't asked her, yet. When they arrived at the crossroad separating their houses, Ash finally got the courage to speak-up.

"Dawn, I got something to ask you."

"Huh? What is it Ash?"

Ash hesitated for a moment before asking her the question.

"Will you go out to the dance with me on Friday night?" he asked.

Dawn was shocked at the question but at the same time, she was happy. She didn't give her reply and that made Ash worried.

"Listen Dawn, you don't have to accept if you don't want to…" Ash said with a disappointed tone.

"You must be out of your mind if you're thinking that I'm going to reject you."

Ash lifted his head and with hopeful eyes, he wanted to confirm what he had heard.

"So… that's a yes?"

"Well, if it's a no you want…" Dawn said sarcastically.

"No! I mean yes I want a –…"Ash stopped for a moment to think over what he had just said. _"Ugh I feel so stupid now…"_

Dawn started to laugh hysterically and soon after, Ash joined in. "Hey! I was just kidding! Of course I want to go to the dance with you! I mean after all I -"

"Huh?" Ash instantly stopped laughing to hear what Dawn had to say. _"Was she about to say that she loved me or am I jumping to conclusions?"_

"I… wouldn't want to go with anybody else other than you Ash." she said quickly improvising.

"Oh… alright then. I'll see you tomorrow Dawn."

"You too. Bye Ash!"

"Bye!" Then the two both went their separate ways while waving back to each other.

* * *

**REVIEW PLEASE!**


	2. Chapter 2

**And here it is! Chapter 2!**

* * *

Again, it was the same old morning, except this time Dawn had remembered to finish her homework so she had time to sleep in… maybe sleep in a little too long. The sound of someone yelling at her outside made her jump and wake up instantly.

"Hey Dawn! It's 8 o'clock and you still didn't come out yet! You're going to be late if you don't hurry!"

Instantly as if on cue, Dawn opened her eyes, raced out of bed, threw on her usual clothing, grabbed her backpack and sprinted outside. By the time she was out the door, she was huffing so hard that she didn't notice the person in front of her.

"It took you long enough! Imagine what would've happened if I hadn't came by!"

Dawn lifted her head and faced Ash directly. Her face flushed from the closeness of their faces and she had to look away in fear of Ash catching her blushing.

"Hey Dawn, you alright?"

"Um… yeah, I'm fine. Thanks for the heads up."

"Hey, no problem. Let's get going."

Dawn nodded her head before she and Ash both started walking towards the school; silently. The silence was interrupted when Dawn's stomach growled from the hunger.

"Dawn? Don't tell me you skipped breakfast today."

"Heh heh…" Dawn rubbed the back of her head while holding onto her stomach. "I guess I did."

"Well, it's a good thing I missed breakfast too. Or else I wouldn't have brought this sandwich along." Ash unzipped his bag and pulled out a sandwich. He broke it in two and handed Dawn the bigger piece.

"Ash, you don't have to be a gentleman. Just eat it all for yourself."

"With that stomach of yours growling? I don't think so." He placed the sandwich in Dawn's hand which she again accepted gratefully. Dawn thought to herself as she began to munch on the sandwich._ "Wow… he's so sweet…"_

By the time they had finished their breakfasts, they had arrived at school.

. . .

Surprising, school had ended pretty quickly; perhaps a little too quickly for Dawn. During Science Class, Mr. Weaver gave out a school assignment which involved group work and he paired Ash with Misty. Misty somehow persuaded Ash to come over to her house after school to work on the group project together and Dawn was left out. She was jealous that Misty had an excuse to invite Ash over but moreover, she was just lonely. She was walking home from school alone today because Misty and Ash were walking towards the opposite direction. She had her head swung down and was walking slowly, trying to understand why she was feeling this way. _"I know the exact reason… It's because Ash isn't here…"_ Dawn continued her route towards her house feeling depressed; very depressed.

Meanwhile…

"So Misty… What part of the project are we going to start on first?" Ash asked.

"Let's talk about the project once we get to my house Ash. Have you thought about what I asked you yesterday, about the dance?"

"Misty, I'm not going to the dance with you. I know we're friend and all but I'd like to keep it that way."

Misty kept silent while she continued walking but even a blind person would've noticed that she was upset; upset by the way Ash had rejected her. Ash took notice of this and immediately felt ashamed for what he had done. Before he could give her a reply, he was interrupted by Misty.

"Is someone else going to the dance with you?" she asked.

Ash felt as if he was cornered. He didn't want to tell her about Dawn but then again, he couldn't lie to her either. He decided to tell her the truth without actually telling her, 'the truth'.

"I'm not going to lie to you Misty. I am going to the dance with someone else."

Misty's expression of sadness instantly changed into an expression of shock.

"Who is it Ash!" she almost yelled.

They stopped in the middle of the sidewalk.

"How does that concern you Misty?" Ash replied in a cold tone.

Misty felt as though she had been slapped across the face. As a result, she slapped Ash across the face for no apparent reason other than slight embarrassment. Ash fell backwards but thankfully, didn't land on his head. He got up to brush himself off before heading towards the opposite direction.

"Where do you think you're going Ash?" Misty asked.

"Home, we'll finishing the project at school tomorrow." He replied without even looking back.

Misty felt as though she had done something terribly wrong but didn't shame herself for it. _"Nah, he deserved it. But I wonder who he's going out with…"_

. . .

Dawn was lying in her bed. But for some reason, she couldn't sleep. She had finished her homework and was done all her chorus but just couldn't sleep; and she knew exactly why.

"_Ash..."_

Ash had been on Dawn's mind lately. He was the only thing that she seemed to be able to daydream about too. It was 7 pm in the evening and she knew it was way too early to go to bed but decided to wake up earlier tomorrow in the morning. Just as she was about to turn off the lights, her cell phone on her desk rang. She hurried over to pick it up to check the caller-id. After seeing who the caller was, she quickly flipped open her cell phone.

"Ash!" she exclaimed loudly.

"Ow! Could you quite down a bit Dawn?"

"Oops… Heh heh… sorry about that." Dawn rubbed the back of her head slightly embarrassed.

"Hey, are you allowed to go out right now?"

"Of course, I'm done all my chorus so my parents won't mind as long as I come back before 10."

"That's great! You want to hang out tonight Dawn? Just me and you?"

Dawn felt as if her heart had skipped a beat. _"Did Ash just ask me out?"_

"Hey, earth to Dawn? You still there?"

"Huh? Oh yeah! I'm here Ash, and I'd love to go out… I mean hang out tonight!"

"Huh? Oh, alright. Meet me at the park, you'll know where to find me."

"Huh? Wait! Where?" Dawn asked desperately.

"*Sigh* Does the word 'bench' ring any bells?"

"Oh there! Alright, I'll be there before you know it!" and with that she hung up the phone. Dawn quickly changed into the clothes she had worn today, grabbed her cell phone and wallet before sprinting out of her bedroom door. Before she ran outside, she scram out, "MOM! I'M GOING OUT! BE BACK SOON!"

"Alright sweetie! Be back by-"

The front door slammed shut.

"ten…"

. . .

Dawn was waiting for Ash on the bench they had sat on 3 years ago; when they were both 12. They always used to sit down on this bench to take a break sometimes from all the playing and running. But most of the time, they just sat on this bench to chat.

Dawn had been sitting on the bench for the past 10 minutes and couldn't find Ash anywhere.

"Hey Dawn…" someone said in a weak tone.

"Huh? Ash?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah, I'm over here." Ash waved his hand weakly as he strolled over to sit beside Dawn. Dawn laid back on the bench like she'd use to and began the conversation.

"So Ash? Why'd you bring me here?"

"I wanted to tell you something Dawn."

_Dawn swallowed hard. "Wait, what did he just say!" _Dawn thought.

* * *

**Keep reading...**


	3. Chapter 3

****

**And here's Chapter 3...**

**

* * *

**

"It's about what happened with Misty… she slapped me…" Ash said in a somewhat depressed tone.

Dawn gave out a sigh because she was disappointed by the answer. She thought that Ash was about to confess to her but, she was wrong.

"Oh… I'm sorry to hear that Ash." Dawn got up from her leaning position and wrapped her arms around Ash; which surprised him. He hugged her back and soon they found themselves in each other's embrace.

"Thanks Dawn."

Ash then broke apart their embrace.

"Anytime Ash…" Dawn stared deeply in Ash's eyes and he did the same. Now seemed like the perfect time to make love; only it was interrupted by Ash's cell phone. They both quickly returned to their original positions as Ash quickly took out his phone to answer it, not bothering to look at the caller-id.

"Hello?"

"Hey Ash, it's Misty."

"Yeah… Hi Misty…"

"Listen, I'm really sorry for what I did back at the sidewalk. It wasn't right of me to do. I just called to apologize and to see if we can still be friends."

"Of course Misty, I gotta go now. I'll see you in school tomorrow."

"You too! Bye!" then she hung up the phone. Ash slowly tucked away his cell phone before turning back towards Dawn who was now looking at him with a confused and worried face.

"What's wrong Dawn?" Ash asked in a concerned voice.

"Um… it's nothing; really. Just daydreaming…"

"Oh… ok then…"

For the next 30 minutes, they both sat on the bench without saying anything which made the situation awkward. Dawn did her best to try to bring up a topic but couldn't think of any. The real question she wanted to ask was, _"Do you love me Ash?"_ or _"Ash, can I kiss you?"_ but she knew she couldn't for the fear of rejection was too high. Even though Ash was too dense to figure it out, he too had some kind of awkward feeling flowing through him. Unknowingly, Ash was inching closer to Dawn and she did the same until they were basically side by side. Dawn snuggled in closer to Ash which made him back away a bit.

"Don't be scared Ash. I just want you to cuddle me."

"Um… I guess that's fine…" Ash moved closer to Dawn once more and this time, he wrapped his arms around her as she swiveled her arms around Ash's waist forming a cuddle. The two stayed like that for what seemed like forever until Dawn knew that she had to go.

"Sorry to ruin the moment Ash but I have to go…" Dawn said regrettingly as Ash slowly released his grip.

Ash and Dawn both slowly rose up from the bench to bid each other farewell. Instead of waving, Dawn gave Ash a hug instead; which he returned. After they broke apart, Dawn walked towards the direction of her house as Ash did so himself.

. . .

"I can't believe how quickly time flies, it's already Friday!" May exclaimed.

"You know it's the dance tonight, right?" Dawn asked.

"Or course! I gotta go find a boy to go out with! Bye!" without even waiting for Dawn's reply, May had run off.

It was indeed Friday, the night of the school dance and the dance where she would go with Ash. She was a little nervous but just the thought of Ash comforted her soul.

School was over and Dawn had to go home to get ready for the big night. She wanted to impress people, she wanted to impress friends, she wanted to impress Ash. Dawn grabbed all of her books and tossed them into her bag before exiting the school to meet with Ash. Ash however, wasn't alone…

"Look Misty, I told you already twice that I'm not going to the dance with you."

"Ash Ketchum! If you not accepting my invitation at least tell me who you're going out with!"

"If you want to hear it so badly then fine! It's Dawn! I'm going to the dance with Dawn!"

Before Dawn had the time to respond, Misty had noticed her and gave her a glare before stomping off. Dawn rushed over to Ash to clarify some things.

"Ash? What was all that about?"

"It's nothing Dawn… Misty was just trying to persuade me to go to the dance with her. She got pretty upset when I rejected her and I guess I told her that we were going out together. I'm sorry about telling her that but I just couldn't stand talking to her anymore."

"It's alright Ash. As long as she's not interfering with our relationship, no harm is being done. Now let's go, we've got a big night ahead of us." Ash and Dawn both began their trip back towards their houses.

. . .

*Ding-Dong*

"I'll get it mom! It's probably Ash!" Dawn sprang off the couch and ran for the door. Meanwhile, her mother in the kitchen yelled a few last farewells to her daughter.

"You two have fun dear! Just make sure to come home before 1 am ok sweetie? Bye!"

Dawn opened the door and found Ash waiting for her outside.

"Well? What are you waiting for?" Ash asked.

"For you to grab my hand and escort me out of my house silly." Dawn replied jokingly. But Ash did do what she had requested. He gently took Dawn's hand and moved her out of the front doors.

"You know I was just kidding right?" Dawn asked.

"Yeah, but I just did it for the heck of things. My mom's driving us to the school with her car so hop in."

Both Dawn and Ash made their way to the car and got inside before Ash's mom drove off to their school.

****

* * *

**There we go, end of chapter 3.**


	4. Chapter 4

_Flash__forward_

_Ash and Dawn were both slow dancing now. Dawn had her arms wrapped around Ash's neck while Ash had his arms around her waist. It was obvious that Ash had been trying to hide his blush but Dawn just simply smiled back._

"_Ash… I want to tell you something." Dawn began._

_Ash's nervousness began to fade and was replaced by concern._

"_Huh? What is it Dawn?"_

"_Well… it's this thing that I've been holding onto for a long time now and I think now's the best time to tell you."_

"_Well ok. Let's here it."_

"…_I love you Ash." Dawn then leaned forward to kiss Ash who now had his eyes wide open from the revelation. However, Ash gradually melted into the kiss and kissed her back. They parted after a while to allow the moment to sink in._

"_I think I need to tell you something as well Dawn." Dawn stood still to listen. "I love you too." Ash said in a calm voice. Instead of kissing him again, Dawn instead brought herself closer to Ash almost hugging him while slow dancing. All was good until…_

_*BANG* A gunshot rang out._

"_What the hell? Dawn did you…?" Dawn's eyes were now wide open as she slowly collapsed in Ash's arms. It was evident that she had been shot; near the sides of her stomach. Ash and Dawn both slowly fell to the ground with Dawn on Ash's lap._

"_No…. this can't be happening…" Ash suddenly looked up and found Misty holding a handgun with smoke coming out from its barrel…_

_End of Flashforward_

Back in present time…

"So Ash, you finally ready to go in?" Dawn asked. Both Ash and Dawn were now outside gymnasium where the dance was being held at.

"Yep, let's go." He opened the door to the gymnasium and the sound of the music nearly deafened their ears. The entire gym was loaded with people; most likely due it being the fact that it was the last dance of the year. Among the crowd, Ash quickly spotted out his friends. There was Gary, Solidad, and May. Paul couldn't make it and Ash's other friends didn't bother to come. Both Ash and Dawn walked over to greet their friends and also to catch up.

"So Gary, found anyone to dance with tonight?"

"Of course I have. Sit back and watch." Gary then walked over to a random girl and spoke with her for a moment before walking off with her.

"Catch you later Ashy-boy!"

"Hey! Don't call me that!" Gary gave him a smile and a wink, signaling that he was just kidding, before walking off.

"So Solidad… have you?"

"Nope. But I plan on asking Drew."

"What? Why him?" asked Ash.

"I dunno… ever since the guys found out that Drew's dad was just a plain ol' janitor at another school, they all ditched him and now I feel sort of bad for him."

"Wait, how come I never heard of this? So… his dad was never a high ranking army general or anything like that?"

"Nope. Nobody wants to hang out with him anymore now that he's a loser. But he still came to the dance anyways. I heard he's near the refreshment stands by himself. I'll see you guys later, k?"

"Yeah, see you after the dance Solidad!" Ash yelled as she walked out of the gym and to the refreshment stand outside.

"And you May? Did you manage to find anyone?" Dawn asked.

May gave out a sigh of defeat. "No… but I was about to ask you Ash. Could you slow dance with me just once? PLEASE?" May gave Ash a pleading face; which apparently didn't seem to affect his judgment.

"Um… let me just talk it over with Dawn for a few moments May… I'll be right back…" Ash took Dawn's hand and dragged her over to a corner where May couldn't hear them.

"I know… you don't want to hurt her feelings." Dawn said.

"How did you know?" Ash asked.

"Because you're a nice person Ash. I know you don't want to hurt other people if it isn't necessary. Go on, slow dance with her. Just remember to slow dance with me before the entire dance is over."

"Wow, thanks Dawn!" Ash gave her a friendly hug. "I won't forget who I asked out to the dance."

"You'd better not!" Dawn replied in a jokingly tone before giving him a wink. Ash returned the wink before rushing back into the crowd to meet up with May.

"Well?" May asked.

"Alright. I'll dance with you May, but don't think that this makes us any closer than friends."

May gave out a sequel. "OF COURSE! THANKS ASH!" May instantly wrapped her arms around Ash's neck; almost choking him.

"May… air…"

"Oh! Sorry!" May loosened her grip around Ash.

"Phew… okay." Ash wrapped his around May's waist and swayed side to side. May had her big grin on for the entire time they danced and Ash was glad of it. At least she wasn't in the bathroom crying her heart out about the rejection.

After the song was over, May gave Ash a tight hug.

"Ugh… May…. Nothing more… than friends…" May, again, loosened her grip over him.

"Don't worry! I didn't forget about the promise I made. It was just a friendly hug!" May said with enthusiasm which made Ash's sweat drop.

"Anyways, you should go back to Dawn now… maybe even confess your feelings for her! Aw! It would be so romantic!" May said as she clasped her hands together.

Ash's expression immediately changed from gladness into embarrassment. "Wait, how did you…?" Before Ash could finish, May gave him a wink before running off. Ash stood there, clueless as to what had just happened.

"…_Ah whatever… I gotta go find Dawn now." _Ash then pushed through the crowd to get back to where he had left Dawn.

Meanwhile…

Dawn just sat on a chair, waiting; waiting for the Romeo of her life to come back to her. It had been a good thing that there was a chair nearby or she would've had to stand the entire time. She had her head down to think and reflect for a moment.

"_Is this the right time to tell Ash? What if he doesn't like me? What if I'm pushing it? What if…"_

"Hey Dawn!" a voice called from the crowd. Dawn instantly recognized the voice; it was Ash.

"Over here Ash!" Dawn yelled back.

A figure popped out of the crowd.

"There you are!" Ash said.

"Well, it's about time! What took you so long?"

"Oh… heh heh…" Ash rubbed the back of his head. "I kinda got lost in the crowd so I shouted out your name. But hey! The good news is that I found you right?"

"Yeah, you're right."

Just then, a slow song began to play. Ash started to fiddle around with his foot while Dawn was looking down at her own.

"Umm… Dawn?" Ash asked.

"Yes?"

"Would you like to dance with me?" Dawn knew the question was coming but was still stunned by it. It took her a moment to realize that Ash had been waiting for an answer and so of course, she replied with,

"Sure Ash." Dawn moved closer to Ash and he did the same.

Ash and Dawn were both slow dancing now. Dawn had her arms wrapped around Ash's neck while Ash had his arms around her waist. It was obvious that Ash had been trying to hide his blush but Dawn just simply smiled back.

"Ash… I want to tell you something." Dawn began.

Ash's nervousness began to fade and was replaced by concern.

"Huh? What is it Dawn?"

"Well… it's this thing that I've been holding onto for a long time now and I think now's the best time to tell you."

"Well ok. Let's here it."

"…I love you Ash." Dawn then leaned forward to kiss Ash who now had his eyes wide open from the revelation. However, Ash gradually melted into the kiss and kissed her back. They parted after a while to allow the moment to sink in.

"I think I need to tell you something as well Dawn." Dawn stood still to listen. "I love you too." Ash said in a calm voice. Instead of kissing him again, Dawn instead brought herself closer to Ash almost hugging him while slow dancing. All was good until…

*BANG* A gunshot rang out.

"What the hell? Dawn did you…?" Dawn's eyes were now wide open as she slowly collapsed in Ash's arms. It was evident that she had been shot; near the sides of her stomach. Ash and Dawn both slowly fell to the ground with Dawn on Ash's lap.

"No…. this can't be happening…" Ash suddenly looked up and found Misty holding a handgun with smoke coming out from its barrel.

"Misty! WHY? WHY DID YOU DO IT?"

The entire crowd now turned to face them; even the music stopped playing. Some people were already walking out the main door, fearing what might happen next.

"I couldn't let her have you Ash… I just couldn't…"

"SO IS THIS HOW YOU SOLVED THAT PROBLEM!" Ash yelled.

"I thought… I…" Misty stopped. She didn't stop because she didn't know what to say, but stopped because she saw Ash crying.

"You don't know do you…?... I loved her so much…"

Little did Ash know that Dawn was still conscious, listening to every word Ash was saying.

"Ash…" she said barely in a whisper. She started to close her eyes slowly but was interrupted when Ash grabbed her hand.

"Please Dawn... try to stay with me…" Ash said in a pleading voice.

Outside the school, the sound of sirens were heard.

"…Guess this is it then. My life's over, I'm sorry for ruining yours Ash…" Before Ash could say anything to stop her, Misty pointed the gun to her head then pulled the trigger.

"NO!" Ash shouted.

When Misty's body collapsed on the ground, the sound of the body hitting the hard floor echoed throughout his head.

"No… please… someone tell me this is just a dream… a bad dream…."

Just then, a paramedic squad busted into the gym. After they had examined the scene, two men ran over to Misty's body while the other's came running over to Dawn's. One of the paramedics took Ash aside which he reluctantly complied. Ash didn't want to leave Dawn behind, but he didn't want to risk interfering with the chances of her survival. When the paramedic had finished taking Ash aside, he turned around to go back when Ash stopped him.

"Please, let me go with her."

The paramedic looked at Ash for a moment then look back at Dawn's body before looking back at him.

"Alright, but don't get in the way." he replied.

"I swear on it."

. . .

Ash was in the hospital's waiting room now. He was waiting for the response as to what happened to Dawn. He prayed and prayed that she would be alright but hope was the only thing driving him now.

On the way to the hospital, Ash was in the same ambulance as Dawn so he got to hold her hand the entire way there. She had been unconscious but a part of his mind told him that she was still alive and that she still had a chance. Ash was heartbroken when they took her away into the emergency room but was somewhat glad when they told him that in around 12 hours, they would give him the results.

It had been almost 12 hours now, if not more and Ash had stayed wake the entire time. He couldn't fall asleep, his mind was constantly abuzz with activity. What if Dawn didn't survive? How could he move on in life without her? But then again, what if she did? Ash wouldn't be able to describe the happiness he would feel. Whatever the result was, one thing was certain; nothing would be the same again.

Dawn's mother had joined Ash almost half an hour after the ambulance had arrived at the hospital and Ash told her all about the incident.

_Flashback_

"_I'm sorry Ms. Berlitz (Dawn's last name)… It's my fault that Dawn's in the hospital right now. If I hadn't invited her to the dance, none of this would've happened…"_

_Ash spoke shamefully as he lowered his head in apology. Normally, he thought that Dawn's mom would've gone berserk on him but instead, she placed her hands on Ash's shoulder reassuringly._

"_No worries son. Don't blame yourself, you weren't the one who shot Dawn."_

"_But I-"_

"_Listen, I was thrilled when I heard from Dawn that you had invited her to go with you to the dance. I never saw her so happy in my entire life. That happiness really made my day. And honestly, don't blame yourself; it's not healthy for you. No need to explain that I would've gotten mad if you had hurt Dawn but the truth is, you didn't. I heard from some of the other kids that you and Dawn kissed. Is that true?"_

_Ash blushed before putting his head down again. Mr. Berlitz giggled before talking again._

"_You know, if was forced to choose Dawn's boyfriend, my first pick would've been on you Ash. You're a really nice boy, and I'm glad of that."_

"_Thank you… Ms. Berlitz…." Ash said before he hugged her._

_End of Flashback_

Just then, a doctor came through the sliding doors with a clipboard in his hand and a pen in the other.

"Is Mrs. Berlitz present?"

"Yes I'm right here." Dawn's mother replied.

"Good, I need to talk to you please…"

The doctor then led her towards a door in which she entered nervously. He closed the door tightly behind them.

"_Guess they're finally giving out the verdict…" _Ash thought._ "Please be okay Dawn…"

* * *

_

**That wraps up chapter 4. There are two different endings and you are free to read them both.**

**If you're going to read both of the endings, I'd suggest reading the tragic one first and the happy one later.**


	5. Chapter 5 Tragic Ending

**Life's not always fair. Sometimes you can get a splinter even sliding down a rainbow.**

**-Terri Guillemets**

* * *

**Tragic Ending**

* * *

Ash was getting desperate now. He wanted answers and he wanted them now. He was waiting outside in the waiting room, waiting for the outcome; hoping for the best.

He couldn't take it anymore.

He stood up and barged into the room where the doctor and Dawn's mother were talking in. They both looked at him with fearful eyes but neither of them were really scared.

"What happened to Dawn? Tell me now!" Ash shouted.

"…Alright son." The doctor stood up and made his way over to Ash.

"I didn't even get to tell this to Ms. Berlitz yet but I guess I'll tell both of you the fact straight out: Dawn, is dead."

Ash couldn't believe what he was hearing. Ash knew she was going to die. Just looking at her wound told him that. But he prayed, he prayed deeply to God pleading Him to grant Dawn one more chance at life. His thoughts were interrupted when the doctor had continued.

"Listen son, she's not technically dead yet. She's just unconscious, but we fear that she will never be conscious again. It's just common sense to say that she's dead."

Ash had to be a man for himself. He promised himself that he wouldn't show any emotions, especially not in front of the verdict that was given.

"I understand. I'm going out now. Just tell me where Dawn's operation room was."

The doctor stood hesitantly for a moment before giving Ash a reply.

"… She's in room 113. Just down the corridor."

The doctor seemed hesitant to respond to the request but he did it anyways to avoid trouble and let the young man have his way.

Before the doctor or Dawn's mother could stop him, Ash left the room and headed down the hall leading to Dawn's operation room. He was in front of room 113 and without even knocking, he went in. Inside were two doctors; who were now sitting on two stools, in defeat. They lifted their heads and saw Ash.

"Excuse me young man, you can't be in here." one of the doctors said.

"Yes I can." Ash said boldly.

"You can't come in yet."

"You get out." he said while pointing at the doctor. "The other one too."

Hesitantly but without any resistance, the two doctors firmly got up and left the room. Ash was now all alone in the room along with Dawn's peacefully resting body. Ash pulled up a stool next to Dawn's bed and sat on it. He carefully examined Dawn's face. He knew it from the beginning when he had met her that she was beautiful. Whether it was her carefully brushed hair or her stunning blue eyes, he thought she was beautiful any way anyone would imagine. But beauty wasn't the only thing that made her special, she was also kind-hearted. Sure she and Ash would get into fights sometimes but they always ended happily. Now she was here, in the hospital, in the operation room, on her deathbed. Ash couldn't imagine his life without her, his other half.

"_Why did you have to leave me Dawn… why…"_

Ash began to tear up. He couldn't take it anymore. The thought of his girlfriend getting hurt was enough to make him cry but actually losing her almost killed him. He didn't want to think about it anymore.

"That's not what you want me to think about is it?" Ash asked Dawn out loud.

Even though he wasn't expecting a response, he asked the rhetorical question anyways. He gently placed his hand over Dawn's hand and gripped it gently.

"At least we got to share our love before our tragedy…"

Ash then released his grip on Dawn's hand.

"I love you Dawn. I'll love you forever." Ash gently leaned in to kiss Dawn's cold lips before standing up to leave the room. As he exited, he saw the two doctors waiting outside and stood to face them.

"Listen, sorry for ordering you around like that…"

"It's alright kid. People tend to do those type of stuff when their loved ones past on."

The doctor gave Ash a pat on the shoulder before re-entering the operation room. Ash brushed past everyone in the hospital and left the building without even saying a farewell to Dawn's mother; who was now on a chair in the waiting room, crying her heart out.

Ash couldn't bear to watch Dawn's mother cry, so instead he left the hospital; without saying a word. 


	6. Chapter 5 Happy Ending

**Thank you everyone for your heart-filled comments. It really does make me happy to see them. :')**

* * *

**Happy Ending**

* * *

Ash literally had his ears glued to the door now. Although he attracted a lot of attention from the people around him, he really didn't care. He was dying to know what happened to Dawn. He couldn't make out their entire conversation but what he did hear was Dawn's mother crying. That's when it struck Ash.

"_No… please tell me I'm hearing things…"_

He then heard the chairs shifting from within the room and so he casually stepped aside and acted as if he was minding his own business. When the door opened, Dawn's mother and the doctor calmly came out.

"Well?" Ash asked in a somewhat impatient tone."

"I think her mother should tell you son." the doctor said as he left the two alone to speak.

"How's… Dawn…?" Ash asked nervously.

Dawn's mother lifted her face up to relieve a teary smile.

"SHE'S GOING TO BE ALRIGHT!" Dawn's mother shouted.

Somehow, it seemed like Ash's spirits had just risen to the heavens. He was in pure bliss now, not just because he knew what had happened, but because he knew that Dawn was going to be okay. Dawn's mother must've been crying from the happiness she felt after hearing the news of her daughter's well being.

"When did the doctor say we can see her?" Ash asked hastily.

"We can see her now actually. She's conscious and in her room right now. Why don't you go Ash? I'm pretty certain that she'd like you see you first and her mother second."

Ash gave her a smile before taking off.

. . .

Ash had found and asked the same doctor where Dawn's room was and he pointed at the room at the end of the hallway. After receiving the directions, Ash almost sprinted down the hall, nearly crashing into one of the doctor's assistants.

"Oh! Excuse me sir!" the assistant said before Ash sprinted past him without even giving a glance of notification.

When he had finally gotten to the room, he stopped to catch his breath. He didn't want to frighten Dawn so he casually opened the door. When he peeked inside, he found his angel; looking back at him.

"Dawn!" Ash said before he ran next to Dawn to give her a hug.

"Ash!" Dawn said before receiving the hug. Dawn winced a bit which made Ash let go.

"You alright Dawn?"

"Yeah… it just hurts a bit if I move my hips. But don't worry about me, the doctor said I'll be alright. I just have to stay in the hospital for a couple more days before I can get released."

"In that case, I promise to stay with you, for the next month if I have to."

"Now Ash, you don't have to go that far."

"But I want to…"

Ash gently placed his hands over top of Dawn's hands.

"I was here for the past 12 hours waiting for the doctor to give your results."

"Did you get any sleep Ash? You look like you've been awake through the entire night."

"Nah, I couldn't sleep. I was too focused thinking of you…"

"Aw! That's so sweet of you Ash!" Dawn gave him one of her best smiles which made Ash smile back.

"But Dawn, I was wondering about something."

Dawn's smile instantly faded and was replaced with a concerned face.

"What's the matter Ash?"

"I… I was wondering about what you said at the dance yesterday… did you really mean it?"

Dawn inched closer to Ash.

"Well, seeing how I kissed you and you kissed me back, what do you think?"

Dawn leaned towards Ash to kiss him but her pain kept her back so instead, Ash leaned forward to give her a kiss; which she obviously returned. They were stuck in the kiss for a minute before they eventually broke apart.

"I love you Dawn. I love you more than anything else in this world."

Dawn paused for a moment to allow everything Ash said to sink in.

"Can I… take you out on a date when you get released?" Ash asked.

Dawn smiled. "Well, that's what couples do right?"

"Wait, we're a couple now?" Ash asked; dumbfounded.

"Well, seeing how we both love each other, I guess... why not?"

Ash smiled back at her. "So I guess last night's dance wasn't our last dance was it?"

"Nope, and I'm looking forward to going out with you a lot more often now; sweetie."

Dawn leaned forward and despite her pain, she still kissed Ash. Ash leaned forward so that Dawn would be more comfortable during their kiss.

During the entire time, Dawn's mother had been at the door; smiling as she watched the couple express their love for one another.

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it!**


End file.
